


Expected to be Kids

by solidteflon



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-14 06:10:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11777106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solidteflon/pseuds/solidteflon
Summary: It’s been a week  ----------- a week since the kings and queens tumbled out of that wardrobe all small and skinny and young again. And they haven’t been coping all too well. Professor Kirke notes that they seem to be retreating into themselves, quiet and glum. He figures it’s because of Narnia, how they won’t return anytime soon, but he doesn’t know what happened there exactly. He doesn’t know that the Pevensies are really kings and queens, much older than they appear to be. He hasn’t a clue.





	Expected to be Kids

The eldest Pevensie stares at himself in the mirror, his fists clenched, dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. Susan is worried about him. Hell, they’re all worried about each other. Why wouldn’t they be? They’re grown adults in children’s bodies, treated like the kids they are expected to be. They pace their rooms constantly, worried about the state their country is in. Of course, they discuss it when there’s not a soul around to hear, otherwise, they’d be locked up in a nuthouse. 

     “Peter?” a soft voice calls. Lucy. “You’ve been in there for a while and I’m starting to get worried…can I come in?”

     He almost tells her yes, but then feels a slight stinging on his palms. He unclenches his fists to see crimson droplets beading around tiny crescent shaped wounds. He turns on the sink. “Not yet, Lu. Why don’t you go talk to Susan?” He hears an annoyed huff as her light footsteps fade away. He turns back to the sink and washes his wounds clean, the water turning pink. Of course, he’s suffered many a great deal of wounds in his time as king, so this is nothing. He’s lost count of how many times he’s cleaned his hands of blood. All those battles…all those soldiers who trusted him that died on his watch…. In a sudden outburst of rage, he lets out a yell and his fist smashes into the mirror, shards cutting into his knuckles and flying into the sink and onto the floor. Damn it! How could he leave Narnia behind like that? No rulers, no guidance, no nothing!

     The door suddenly flies open and Susan kneels next to him, whispering words of calm and reassurance, which only makes his mood worse. He stands and pushes past her to the spare room with the only constant reminder of his grief. Susan and the younger two are on his heels, calling out his name. He ignores them and slams open the door. The wardrobe just sits there and it almost seems to be mocking him. Lucy and Edmund try to hold him back, but he shoves them away as he lets the first kick fly. The wood gives out easily under the force, splintering and cracking. Lucy and Ed watch on in horror whilst Susan struggles to drag him away.

     It’s too late, though. 

     A few minutes later, all that’s left of the wardrobe is a pile of broken wood. 

* * *

“I’m sorry…,” he mumbles as he buttons up his pajama top. 

     Susan lays a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Hey, we’re all grieving differently. Not your fault.”

     Edmund and Lucy hug their brother tightly, Susan joining in not too long after.

     “How? How are we expected to be kids again after this?”  he asks in a hushed voice. 

     “We just are.” Susan smiles in reassurance.

     “’We just are’?” Peter gives her sister a look and her eyes fall to the floor. “Susan. We are grown adults stuck in our adolescent bodies. We’ve learned so much in our lifetime in Narnia that we’re not allowed to know here. We’ve seen things that no child like us should see. We are not children.”

     “Yeah, but does Professor Kirke know that? Does Mrs. Macready?” asks Edmund, who stands from the bed. “Will our future classmates know that we’re kings and queens? Our teachers, even? No, to them we’re children who need to be molded into a responsible adult.”

     Peter lets out a sigh, his head bowed. He knows that his siblings are right. They need to be kids. 

     Just for a little while, at least.

* * *

Today is now the first day of school for the Pevensies. Well, a new school. They all stand near their respective ones, suitcases in hand, and glance at each other.

     “So,” says Peter with a frown, “guess this is goodbye. But only for a while….”

     Lucy drops her suitcase, in tears, and hugs her brothers tightly. “Please don’t go!”

     “We have to, Lu. But we’ll see each other next term. I promise you.” Peter hugs her just as tightly. 

     Edmund laughs a bit. “If we were in Narnia, we wouldn’t  _have_ to be saying goodbye.”

     Lucy almost smiles at that ———– almost. She pulls back from the hug and wipes her eyes.

     “C’mon, Lu. We need to get going,” says Susan. She takes Lucy’s hand and smiles at her brothers. The four stare at each other for a moment then hug each other tightly. They’ve never been away from each other for longer than a few days. Well, they have in Narnia when they went to fight in battles across lands, but this is different. They aren’t in Narnia. They’re in London, expected to be the children they’re not. A few moments of silence pass and they’re going in opposite directions. 

      This is going to be harder than they initially thought.


End file.
